Mailing-cabinet.



Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

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M. P. BXLINE. MAILING CABINET. APPLICATION FILED P313. 2, 1911.

. Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

attorneys COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (JO-.WASHINCI'ION. D. c.

MARCUS P. EXLINE, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

MAILING-CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

Application filed February 2, 1911. Serial No. 606,162.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, MARCUS P. EXLINE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county ofDallas and State of Texas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mailing-Cabinets; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

This invention relates to mailing cabinets and has for an object toprovide a device for use in establishments of several divisions ordepartments whereby the mail from various departments is gathered atoneplace and the mail for various houses or correspondents combined tobe forwarded under one cover.

A further object of the invention is to provide individual units havingapartments for holding a stock of envelops and an accumulation ofcurrent letters with the ad dress of the correspondent and so arrangedin a holding cabinet that such units may at all times be arranged inalphabetic order.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cabinet havingvertical compartments of sutlicient width and depth to receive andcontain the units and with suiticient height to enable the units to beraised and other units to be inserted as may be required in use tomaintain such units in alphabetic order.

With these and other objects in View the invention comprises certainnovel constructions combinations and arrangement of parts as will behereiafter more fully'described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1, is a perspective view of the primary mailingcabinet with a number of the units arranged there in. Fig. 2, is a viewinfront elevation of the primary mailing cabinet with additionalsections associated therewith. Fig. 3, is a perspective view of one ofthe units. Fig. 4C, is a longitudinal, sectional view through one of theunits as on line 1- 1 of Fig. 3.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

In handling the correspondence of a large house having a number ofregular correspondents it is usually customary for each departmentfordivision of such house to forward mail for the several correspondentsseparately whereby such correspondent may receive in a single mailletters or other mail matter from each of the several departments ordivisions in the sending house. The forwarding of mail matter in thisform results in confusion to the receiving house and unnecessary expensefor postage and stationery by the sending house.

In the present invention a cabinet 10 is provided having a number ofvertical partitions 11 and preferably mounted upon a desk or table 12.The cabinet is also preferably provided with a pigeon hole 13 for thereceipt of all mail matter brought from all of the various departmentsof the send-- ing house.

\Vithin the compartments formed by the vertical partitions 11 a numberof units 141 are removably placed with preferably no other support thanthe bottom of the cabinet. The units 14c consist preferably though notnecessarily of a sheet metal box having a central partition 15 dividingthe box into an upper compartment 16 and a lower compartment 17. Theupper compartment 16 is intended for holding envelops addressed to theparticular correspondent whose name appears on a slip held by the hingedcover 18 while the lower compartment 17 is in tended to receive allletters assorted from the pigeon hole 13 and which are addressed to thatparticular correspondent. In other words, the mailing clerk takes all ofthe letters deposited from the various departments in the pigeon hole 13and distributes them to the lower compartments of the several units 11and to the correspondent whose name appears upon the cover 18 of thatparticular unit.

As for dilferent correspondents different sized envelops are employedthe upper sheet of the box is preferably slitted, as indicated at 19, toform tongues 20 which may be bent down into the compartment 16 to form aback stop for the envelops inserted in that compartment. The lower sheetis likewise slitted as at 21 to form a tongue 22 which may bebentupwardly into the compartment 17 to serve as a back stop for lettersheets of difierent lengths as may be employed in the correspondencewith that correspondent. In other words, if the letters ordinarilywritten to a particular correspondent are short letters or written uponshort letter sheets then the tongue 22 is bent upwardly lettersaddressed to that particular correspondent are collected in compartment17.

After all such letters are collected one of the envelops is withdrawn 5from the compartment 16 and the letters contained assembled under onecover for mailing, thus saving the cost of envelops and also the cost ofthe usual fractional rates on postage.

It is intended that the units 14 be arranged in the compartments inalphabetical order and for that purpose if a new correspondent is to beaddressed the units are raised or separated as may be required and a newun1t inserted. As the business enlarges and i more storag t becomesnecessary to employ e capacity for the units, sections as indicated at23 are associated with the primary secured thereto as by bolts orsection 10 and are preferably screws 24:.

Fig. 2 indicates at 25 a door made and applied to the additional unitfor the purpose of closing such additional unit so that one or both ofsuch units may be employed for other purposes if the business does notwarrant the use of all of such sections for the purpose described.

I clalm:

1. In a device of the class described, a unit comprising upper and lowercompartments,

such unit b x Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five centseach, by addressing the eing composed of sheet metal the compartment 17are slitted to form tongues, and such tongues being bendable into thecompartments to vary the operative length of such compartments.

.2. In a device of the class described, a unit comprising upper andlower compartments, such unit being composed of sheet metal slitted toform tongues bendable into the compartments to vary the lengths of thecompartments and a closure for one of the compartments arranged toreceive a designation.

3. In a device of the class described, a unit comprising upper and lowercompartments, and composed of sheet metal slitted to produce tonguesbendable into the compartments at different positions.

4. In a device of the class described, a unit comprising upper and lowercompartments, such unit being composed of sheet metal slitted upon oneside to produce tongues bendable into the compartment and intoengagement with the opposite side, adapted to vary the operative lengthof the compartment.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARCUS P. EXLINE.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

